Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
I have
not been able to find a biblical reason for observing new moons in
the Old Testament. Where can I find it?
The Bible does not provide specific reasons
for the observance of the new moon. We may be able to suggest some possibilities
after examining the texts in which the role of the moon and the new moon
is discussed. However, we will not have space to analyze all the biblical
data.
1. Celebration of the New Moon: This was a special day of worship during
which the people rejoiced before the Lord (Hosea 2:11), and rested
from work (Amos 8:5; Num. 29: 1-3). People enjoyed a family festal
meal (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) and apparently consulted God's prophet (2 Kings
4:23). Sacrifices, together with grain and drink offerings, were offered
at the
Temple
(Num. 28:11-15; 29:2-5). Every Israelite was expected to participate
in this celebration.
2. Theological Motivation: The institution of new moon festivals
seems related to the worship of the moon-gods in the ancient Near
East. New moon celebrations honored those gods, and in some places
those celebrations were performed every month. Among some Canaanites
the most important day-the day of the full moon-was dedicated to
the moon-god. Supposedly, moon-gods possessed knowledge and shared
it with their worshippers. They acted as judges of heaven and earth
and were considered the originators of life.
The Lord prohibited the adoration of
moon-gods by the Israelites (Deut. 17:3). But He knew that the
moon was an impressive astral body and that His people would be
tempted to worship it (Deut. 4:19). Accordingly, God instituted
the celebration of the new moon in
Israel
. This was to be a day to worship the Creator of the moon (cf.
Gen. 1:16). It would remind the Israelites that God
appointed the moon to rule over the night (Ps.
136:9) and mark the seasons (Ps. 104:19), that He established
its orderly function (Jer. 31:35), and that God, not the moon, was the judge of
the world. When He judges, the moon is inactive and loses its
brilliance (Joel 3:12, 15). Besides, the moon was unable to give
life to the dead (Jer. 8:1, 2) or to harm God's servants (Ps. 121:6).
While the moon-gods claimed to control
people's destiny, the celebration of the new moon in
Israel
reminded God's people that it was the Lord who blessed, protected,
and provided for them. The new moon introduced a new fragment
of time followed always by the experience or announcement
of a new beginning. It was during a new moon that Noah, after
the Flood, saw the tops of the mountains (Gen. 8:5) and dry
land (verse 13). The Lord was restoring order to the earth
after a cataclysmic event. The Israelites arrived at Sinai
on a new moon and became God's covenant people (Ex. 19:1).
The tabernacle was finished on a new moon (Ex. 40:2, 17),
thus beginning a priestly ministry that pointed to Christ.
While the moon-gods claimed to be dispensers
of knowledge, the God of Israel was the true dispenser of
knowledge. That may explain why God gave the prophets revelations
during the new moon and why people consulted them. It
was during a new moon that the Lord for
the first time spoke to Moses from the tent of meeting
(Num. 1:1). Ezekiel dated at least four of his revelations
from God
to the first day of the month (Eze. 26:1; 29:17; 31:1; 32:1; see also Haggai 1:1), all of
them prophecies against the enemies of God's people.
The celebration of the new moon served to discourage
the worship of the moon-gods among the
Israelites.
3. Cultic Role of the New Moon: The primary function of the new moon
festival was calendrical,
that is to say it was used to set the time for the
celebration of Israelite festivals. For instance,
Passover was celebrated on the fourteenth of the
month (Ex. 12:18) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
on the fifteenth of the month (the day of the full
moon). The Feast of the Trumpets was celebrated on
the first day of the seventh month, followed by the
Day of Atonement
on the tenth day, and the Feast of Tabernacles on
the fifteenth of the same month (Lev. 23:24, 27,
34). The new moon prepared the Israelites spiritually
and psychologically for their cultic appointments
with the Lord. That seems to be another reason that
the Lord instituted its observance.
5/12/05
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